MMS_UnmuteYourself_Audio
===
Dr. Julia Jingles: [00:00:00] Because when you speak, you heal. This starts with yourself.
Hey there, and welcome back to the Mindset Medicine Show. I'm Dr. Julia Bowlin. I'm a physician, author, hypnotherapist, and the founder of Personal Awareness Medicine. Today's episode is where I help disrupt burnout, elevate energy, and transform the way you think, feel, and function. But first, I wanna start with a question.
Not an assumption. Have you ever held back your voice when something inside of you was begging to speak? Maybe it was in a meeting with a friend or a partner, maybe even with yourself. Have you ever walked away from a conversation and thought, why didn't I say something? Or you edited your truth to avoid conflict, stay likable, and maybe just didn't wanna rock the boat if any of that hits home.
Or if it stirs a little curiosity, then [00:01:00] today's episode is for you. I'm exploring the psychology, neurology, and the human patterning behind a voice, not just the act of speaking, but the energy of being heard. Because your voice isn't just a sound. It's your presence, it's your power, and too many of us learn to protect instead of project our voices.
And maybe you're just not sure where that comes from. Maybe it's cultural, maybe it's generational. Maybe for you, it might just be habit. Either way, if these sound familiar, you're not broken, and you're definitely not alone. In today's episode, I'm gonna help unpack why we sometimes freeze or fawn instead of speaking, and what actually happens in your brain when you choose silence over truth.
How your body keeps the score when your words stay trapped inside of you. And two hypnotherapy techniques to help you reconnect your voice in a safe, grounded, and authentic way. Plus, I'm gonna [00:02:00] share a little bit of raw personal moments when I realize when my silence wasn't protecting anyone. It was actually robbing me of being connected, feeling clear, and the influence that I could have in a positive way on other people.
I'll also guide you through a quick coaching moment to help you check in, not push, but explore where you might be holding your voice back and waiting for a future comeback. This isn't about shouting. It's not about talking more, it's about reclaiming the relationship with your own truth. So go grab your coffee or lace up your walking shoes and let's listen.
This is going to be good. So let's just dive in. What is the psychology and the science of the survival brain? Why speaking up isn't always safe and why that matters more than you think. So let's start with this truth. If you've ever chosen silence over speaking, it doesn't mean you're weak. It means you're wired for [00:03:00] survival.
And I talk about that a lot. That a lot of our patterns of behavior over time really have to do with just protection and survival. The human brain is designed to protect us, especially from perceived threats and for many people using their voice has been interpreted by the nervous system as dangerous.
And at some point this has happened in the evolved into this, not because it actually is, but because of how the brain categorizes those moments from the past. Let me walk you through this concept here. When you're in a situation, when you feel vulnerable, let's say you're about to challenge somebody who's an authority over you.
You wanna share your truth or you wanna disagree with somebody important, your amygdala, that little fear center in your brain lights up with a warning flare and it says, hold on, hold up. Is it safe to say that? And if you've ever been punished, rejected, shamed, or ignored after speaking up in the past.
Your body remembers, and I'm [00:04:00] telling you, I have some significant memories of that as a child, so I get it. That memory then is stored in your limbic system, which is the emotional part of your brain, and over time a pattern forms, you hesitate, you shrink, you get the lump in your throat and you might even tell yourself, it's not worth the drama.
I'm gonna let it go. Sound familiar, but here's the kicker. Your voice doesn't disappear. It just gets internalized. And that internal pressure, it shows up as anxiety, tension, and insomnia, even autoimmune issues, acid reflux, migraines, and burnout. No, that's not a stretch. In fact, studies have shown that inhibited emotional expression is linked to higher rates of physiological distress and immune dysregulation.
So if you're wondering why you're exhausted, inflamed, or emotionally flatline, ask yourself, am I suppressing my truth? [00:05:00] Am I suppressing truth? I was never taught how to speak safely. I'm gonna say that again. Could you be suppressing truth that you were never taught how to speak safely? This isn't about blame, it's about awareness.
Because once we become dynamic and understanding this process, we can change this game when your voice gets coded as a threat. Your nervous system learned that silence was the path to safety. But today, your safety might lie in the opposite direction. In speaking, sharing, expressing, not recklessly, but not even explosively, but intentionally.
It's not about being the loudest person in the room, it's about being clearest with yourself. So I'd like you to take a moment right now. Where does your voice feel Stifled. Like what situation do you replay in your head over and over because you wish you would've said more. [00:06:00] What belief did you inherit that told you that speaking up is selfish or rude?
Or unsafe? These are not just reflective questions. I want you to be asking yourself. They're invitations to interrupt the script and the pattern that you've been possibly living with for maybe your whole adult life. So next I'm gonna dive into what actually happens in your body when your voice is suppressed, and how you can start rewiring that response.
But for now, I wanna leave you with this for a second. I don't think we lose our voice. We protect it. Let's move on to section two. I titled this, the Body Keeps the Silence and How Unspoken Truths become Physical Tension. When we don't speak up our voice, you're not imagining the physical sensation. Your throat tightens, tension, fatigue, all these things are trying to tell you something.
So what happens when we don't speak not from [00:07:00] judgmental situation, but from a physiological body reaction kind. I've already touched a little bit on the survival brain and the fear response, but here's where it gets more fascinating. The human body is designed to express energy, and when it doesn't, it stores it.
And where does that unexpressed energy go? In your muscles, in your fascia, in your gut, in your breath. And yes, your voice. So here's the science behind the stuck, is how I call it. Your vagus nerve is a major highway between your brain and your body. It controls things like digestion, heart rate, vocal tone.
When you're safe, your vagus nerve supports calm and communication. But when you're in fight, flight, freeze, or fawn, which is people pleasing, neurologic. I can't say this word. People pleasing. Neurobiological cousin. It shuts things down. [00:08:00] What does that mean for your body? Your diaphragm tightens your throat, constricts your breath.
Shallows Your voice might even sound shaky or thin. This isn't personality. It's neurology. And for those who've grown up in environments where speaking up got you punished, ignored, or misunderstood. Your vagus nerve has trained itself to anticipate danger from your self-expression. So when someone says, just speak your truth, you might want to scream.
It's not that simple. And you'd be right because for some people speaking up doesn't just feel scary. It's impossible. Not because you're weak, but because your body literally goes offline. That is called dorsal vagal shutdown, and it's real. That's dorsal vagal shutdown. But here's the good news. Your nervous system can be retrained, and the doorway is awareness, compassion, [00:09:00] consistent cues of safety.
So let's keep going. What does a stressed, suppressed voice look like in the body? Here's a few common signs that maybe your voice might be trapped. Not metaphorically, but biologically. You have chronic neck and jaw tension. You feel like there's a lump in your throat. It's a weird sensation in the front of your throat.
You might have acid reflux or indigestion during emotional conversations. You might have tension headaches or migraines before a big talk holding your breath when others speak to you. You might feel fatigued after meetings when you didn't contribute. Does any of this sound familiar and get this, some studies show that self silencing is linked to immune dysregulation and chronic fatigue syndrome.
So here's a personal note from me to you. When I was in private practice, I remember walking out of a huge meeting [00:10:00] where a male colleague spoke over me three times, and I didn't say anything. I smiled. I took notes, and I went home That night, I got a massive migraine. I chalked it up to stress, dehydration, but then it happened again and again.
Until I started tracking it and every time I swallowed my voice, my body screamed instead. That's when I knew something had to change, not just about what I said, but how I allowed myself to exist in spaces where my voice was optional. Does that sound familiar? I mean, if so, you're not broken. You're responding to conditioning and your body's doing the best it can to protect you until it learns another way.
So I wanna explore how we can start giving our voice a safe space to return, not with shouting, but with energetic presence and somatic permission, because speaking isn't about sound, it's about safety. Safety can be practiced.[00:11:00]
If stress and overwhelm or that relentless inner critic has been running the show, it's time to take back control. You don't need another motivational quote or a feel-good pep talk. You need a system, a tool, something that actually works when life gets messy. That's exactly why I created mindset medicine worksheets, no fluff, no filler.
Just proven strategies that are powerfully designed to help you rewire your thoughts for clarity and confidence. Break the cycle of overwhelm in minutes. Set boundaries that stick without guilt and turn stress into focus and action. This isn't about theory, it's about real transformation. And the best part is each episode of this podcast comes with a worksheet designed specifically for what you're learning today.
No more wondering how to apply this. It's all mapped out for you. And if you're ready to stop spitting your wheels and start making real shifts, grab today's worksheet below because life's too short to stay stuck. Check out the episode specific worksheet in today's podcast. Show notes below. [00:12:00] The link is right there for you.
All right. Let's move on to section number three where I titled this Reclaiming the Mic, how to Practice Safe Self-Expression. You don't need to be louder, you just need to be realer. Is that a word? Realer? I'm gonna make it real, more real with yourself. First, I've laid some of the groundwork as to why your nervous system might see using your voice as a threat and how silence isn't passive, it's protective, but now comes the practice, not the just say it.
Kind of practice, not the be bold or go home advice that usually comes from people who've never had their truth punished. I'm talking about being gentle, embodied, repeatable practices that help your brain and body realize that you can speak and still be safe. Because here's the deal, self-expression isn't a performance, it's recalibration.
And let's start with something deceptively simple, [00:13:00] but incredibly powerful. A coaching moment. I call this the mirror dialogue technique. It's a self witnessing exercise to help you build voice safety and nervous system reprogramming. And here's what you do. You go to a mirror and you look yourself directly in the eyes, and you ask this out loud.
What truth am I scared to say, but ready to hear and then say it. Out loud to your reflection. Even if your voice shakes, even if your words tumble out awkwardly, even if you cry, let the mirror be your first safe audience, not your partner, not your boss, you, because the truth is before we can reclaim our voice in the world, we have to get reacquainted with it ourselves.
This practice is called somatic hypnotherapy because the brain responds to your reflection as another person. And when you safely express truth to that other, you're [00:14:00] training your nervous system to reclassify your voice as safe, not scary. You don't need to yell. You just need to speak clearly, slowly and from your gut.
And if the words don't come, try this instead. I don't know what I need to say yet, but I'm listening. Do this for five days and journal what comes up afterwards. And it might feel awkward as crazy at first, but awkward is the gateway to authenticity. Because small practices make big voice returns. Beyond that mirror work we just talked about, here are three more ways that you can practice self-expression today.
Practice using I statements. Stop saying you. So instead of deferring whatever you want, or, I'm good either way, start saying, I'd prefer to. Half tied tonight, or I actually need some time alone today. Those are micro moments that build big voice muscles. Next, do a body scan. See what [00:15:00] your throat is speaking.
Notice if it's tight. When you say certain words, is it true? Is it fear? Just observe and next practice finishing your sentences. Many of us trail off. Lower our tone or end with. Does that make sense? These subtly discredit your voice. Instead, try, I believe this matters, period. Not a question, not a disclaimer.
And final reminder. Reclaiming your voice isn't about volume. It's about vibrational alignment between what you think, feel, and say. When your voice, your nervous system, and your energy are in sync, that's when you become magnetic. We'll go even deeper into this next session where I guide you through a hypnotherapy technique that I call voice vault visualization.
It's designed to unlock stored truths in your subconscious using imagery and sensory cues, but for now, repeat after me. [00:16:00] Not to the world, not to your boss, not to your ex, to yourself. My truth is safe with me. All right, we're moving on now to section four of this podcast episode. This is what I call voice fault visualization, unlocking the power that we may have forgotten we had.
It's a hypnotherapy technique to help us reconnect with our subconscious truth and restore our voice from the inside. Before we begin, here's a quick reminder for anybody who's new. Hypnotherapy isn't mind control, it's mind permission, and it uses focused attention, imagery and suggestions to help us bypass our overthinking, our over editing part of our brain so we can access raw, unfiltered truth underneath.
And I call this voice vault. Visualization because it's specifically designed to help us re-access parts of our voice that we may have buried over time. So here we are. If you are driving operating [00:17:00] machinery, please continue to do so and come back to this exercise later when you can safely follow through and do this technique.
So wherever you are, whether you're sitting, walking, lying down, just allow your awareness to soften. Taking a breath in and as you exhale, release the pressure to do this right? Doesn't matter. There's no way to do this wrong. And in your mind's eye, I want you to imagine. A vault, not a cold or sterile bank vault, but a sacred vault, like a temple that protects your deepest truths.
The outside could be wood, stone, something ancient, something beautiful, maybe even sparkly. And you walk up to this vault and there's a key in your hand, and this key is shaped just like your voice. It carries the frequency of every time you [00:18:00] wanted to speak and you didn't every, almost every, I should've, every, I would've every time you told yourself, I can't.
And now you use the key. And as the door opens, you're not met with fear, you're met with sound, gentle at first. Echoes fragments. A child's voice here, a teenager's fire here, and adult restraint. They're all yours. And you step inside this vault. And there in the center is a glowing orb. Or a flame, and it represents pure, unedited version of your voice.
It's not loud, not angry, just true. And you walk towards it and you place a hand over your heart and you ask, [00:19:00] what did you need me to say?
Let the answer come. Words, phrases, emotions, or sensations. Now breathe in and imagine pulling that light into your throat. Feel it warm, your neck, your chest, your face. You are no longer borrowing courage. You are embodying your truth.
And when you're ready, slowly step back, close the vault. Not to hide it, but to honor it. Knowing now you carry the voice with you and just like that you return. So let's wiggle your [00:20:00] fingers and blink your eyes because you're here, but changed. This works because we just created a neural imprint using image plus emotion plus intention.
That is how we reprogram the subconscious, not by lecturing to it, but by showing it how to do it. And this works because your brain doesn't fully distinguish between imagined and real experiences. So when you hear. Your voice in the vault, your mind catalogs it as real accessible and yours, and each time you return to that visualization, you reinforce a deeper sense of voice ownership, not the voice you were taught to use, the voice you were born with.
Big stuff right there. So in my last section, I'm going to share a short personal story about how I use this exact visualization in real [00:21:00] life and what it helped me to finally say out loud after years of biting my tongue. And then I'm gonna close with your next step, your next challenge, and your personal microphone moment.
I call this story time plus mic drop. Because reclaiming your voice isn't just an idea, it's a decision. Let me take you back to a moment that cracked me wide open. It was after a long day seeing 30 plus patients in my office. My partner was out. I was exhausted physically, emotionally, and spiritually, and I just finished a difficult case review and a colleague I really respected completely cut me off mid-sentence.
In front of my entire office. Now, I wish I could say I snapped back with a perfect line or stood up and owned the room, but I didn't. I froze. I nodded, I shrunk. I moved on and I internalized it. But what came [00:22:00] after was the real moment I got in my car, I closed the door, and instead of crying or fuming, I whispered out loud.
That was not okay. I deserved fit to finish that, and that whisper, it wasn't weak. It was the beginning of my return that night. I did the mirror challenge that I shared with you earlier. I looked myself in the eye, in the mirror and I said, I'm not angry. I'm aware, and I'm not abandoning my voice anymore.
And that next day I circled back to that colleague, calm, clear, and no apology in my tone. And I said, Hey, I noticed I got cut off yesterday and that's not something I'm willing to let slide anymore. My voice matters here. It wasn't dramatic, but it was defining. So my question for you is this. Where are you biting your tongue to protect someone else's comfort at the cost of your own clarity.
This week, choose one moment to [00:23:00] unmute yourself. It could be in a meeting. It could be in a text that you're scared to send. It could be in your own journal. And when you do it, don't wait for applause. Just notice how your body feels when your truth has room to breathe. You don't have to roar to reclaim your power.
You just have to stop whispering your truth because when you speak, you heal, and this starts with yourself. Soul family. Let's take a breath together, because today was a journey. And if your heart's beating a little louder, that's a good thing. That's the sound of your voice. Stirring a little bit, awakening, remembering who it is, and let's recap with your inner work.
From today's episode, you learned why silence is often a survival strategy, not a flaw. You discovered how your nervous system interprets voice as risk and how to gently retrain that pattern. You practice the mirror dialogue technique, giving [00:24:00] your truth in a safe space, in a place where it can land. You walk through the voice visualization in the vault, connecting to a version of you who never stops wanting to be heard.
You took on the mic drop challenge because clarity, not volume is your real superhero pattern. So here's your next move. Don't just do it. Don't just listen. Really practice this. Download this week's free exercise and start practicing concepts from this episode. You'll find the link in the show notes below, right down below.
And if this stirred something in you, if it reminded you of how often we might be playing small, stayed quiet or questioned, all right to speak. Share this episode. Help me reach this episode and reach my dream goal of a hundred shares and a hundred days. One voice at a time, we will rise. You can tag me, dm me, and better yet, tell me what truth You're finally ready to speak.
Let's build this moment together. And [00:25:00] remember, this isn't just a podcast. It's a revolution in personal awareness medicine. It's about showing up whole grounded and unedited. So if you're ready to stop performing and start expressing, you're exactly where you're meant to be. I'm Dr. Julia Bolen, and until next time, may you be happy.
Be healthy. And be fulfilled.
Outro: Thank you for listening to Mindset Medicine with your host, Dr. Julia Bowlin. To learn more about mindset medicine, go to www.juliabowlinmd.com and connect with Dr. Julia to find out how our team can help you today. Join us again next week for more expert tips, tools, and strategies to become healthier, wealthier, and wiser in your personal and professional [00:26:00] life.
